Publications

Introduction

AASHE’s publications library is the leading repository of reports, journal articles, books, and student research on sustainability in higher education. Certain publication types are entered in the annual AASHE Awards Program.

At a Glance

3966
Total Resources
1909
Organizations
99
Countries
58
U.S. States & Territories
12
Canadian Provinces

Bars in graphs can be clicked to view resources that align with a particular category. Because a resource may be listed under multiple topics and disciplines, graph data may include higher total counts than what is indicated in total resources above.

3966 resources

The Planetary Health Report Card: a student-led initiative to inspire planetary health in medical schools

  • University of California, San Francisco (CA)
  • University of Hawaii Honolulu Community College (HI)
  • University of Oxford

The warming of our planet and destruction of our ecosystems have created grave new threats to human health, such as food insecurity, physical and mental trauma from extreme weather events, …


Higher Education for Sustainability: A Bibliometric Approach—What, Where and Who Is Doing Research in This Subject?

  • University of Aveiro
  • University of Minho

Contextualization: From a very early age, assuming more prominence over the last decades, issues related to sustainability have been taking on a particular interest in the field of research. Although …


Education for Sustainable Development in Foreign Language Learning

  • George Washington University (DC)

This books uses the UNESCO Education for Sustainable Development framework to help educators integrate sustainability education in foreign language learning at the college level. The chapters are all written by …


Are LEED campus buildings universally designed? Assessments at Virginia Tech

  • Virginia Tech (VA)

Purpose

As many of the next generation leaders are currently on college campuses, endorsing green buildings can foster environmental stewardship among the student body. However, marshalling in the social sphere …


Art and higher education for environmental sustainability: a matter of emergence?

  • Aalborg Universitet

This study aims to contribute to the exploration of inter-disciplinary approaches in higher education for sustainability. It is a reflection on a case study linking students in the arts and …


Defining a Pedagogical Framework for Integrating Buildings and Landscapes in Conjunction with Social Sustainability Discourse in the Architecture Graduate Design Studio

  • Girne American University
  • Arkin University of Creative Arts and Design

The primary objective of this research is to define a pedagogy framework for architecture Graduate Design Studio. The proposed pedagogy framework pursues the following three principal objectives: The first objective …


Developing Ethical Future Managers Embracing Sustainability: Case Study of Budapest Business School

  • Budapest Business University

The paper describes and evaluates how a higher education institution (Budapest Business School - BBS), aspiring for AACSB accreditation, co-created innovative tools, based on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals and …


Enhancing the accountability and comparability of different campuses’ energy profiles through an energy cluster approach

  • Università degli Studi di Torino
  • Politecnico di Torino

International sustainability ranking systems generally set criteria in order to monitor global achievement of universities in terms of sustainability. However, current sustainability ranking systems do not provide specific consumption thresholds …


Do European quality assurance frameworks support integration of transformative learning for sustainable development in higher education?

  • University of Bern
  • Universitat de Girona (Girona)
  • Kaunas University of Technology (Kaunas sav.)
  • Universiteit Hasselt

A transition toward sustainable development requires engagement of university students in transformative learning. Therefore, quality frameworks and processes should support deep approaches to sustainable development in higher education. Research and …


An Exploration of the Relationship between Sustainability-Related Involvement and Learning in Higher Education

  • Tufts University (MA)
  • University of Michigan (MI)

Higher education institutions are charged with developing civically engaged leaders to address the pressing issues facing the country and the world. While existing literature suggests institutional practices, such as promoting …


The Potential for Electricity-use Reduction in Grinnell College Residence Halls through Behavioral Manipulation

  • Grinnell College (IA)

I studied the potential for electricity-use reduction through behavioral change in on-campus residence halls. I used social comparisons to induce behavioral change in the residents. The results did not show …


Integrating global sustainability into social studies teachers' education: a collaborative self-study

  • Kennesaw State University (GA)

There have been increasing calls for social studies educators to engage issues of sustainability. Proponents argue that the very survival of the planet depends on the degree to which teachers …


Major shift or business as usual? An investigation on the impacts of responsible management education

  • University of Shanghai for Science and Technology

Various curricula and educational materials for responsible management education (RME) have been developed by business schools from different parts of the world for sustainable development. There is, however, limited research …


Black and Indigenous Theoretical Considerations for Higher Education Sustainability

  • Arizona State University (AZ)

In this conceptual paper, the authors make the case for why and how researchers can incorporate Black and Indigenous standpoints in higher education scholarship. We begin by drawing parallels between …


“We Can’t Wait Anymore”: Young Professionals Engaging in Education for Sustainability

  • University of Memphis (TN)

Sustainability-minded young professionals are needed to facilitate movement toward a sustainable planet. Their development has largely been left to Higher Education Institutions charged with equipping future generations of professionals to …


Toward a Sustainable University: Babes-Bolyai University Goes Green

  • Universitatea Babeș-Bolyai

The present research aims to investigate the roadmap followed by a Romanian University implementing sustainability practices and thus contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Informed by the stakeholder …


Reducing the environmental impact of food service in universities using life cycle assessment

  • Eckerd College (FL)

This study aims to use life cycle assessment to determine the environmental impact of food purchases at a small, liberal arts college. The authors also use the results to develop …


The patterns of curriculum change processes that embed sustainability in higher education institutions

  • Leuphana University of Lüneburg

Implementing education for sustainable development (ESD) in higher education institutions (HEIs) is critical to facilitating a transition toward sustainable development. However, little is known about the specific implementation processes that …


The factors impacting the incorporation of the Sustainable Development Goals into Raw Materials Engineering Curricula

  • National Technical University of Athens

It is widely recognised and acknowledged that the mining industry, if properly operating and managed, has the potential to positively contribute to “The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. In this …


Do University Students’ Security Perceptions Influence Their Walking Preferences and Their Walking Activity? A Case Study of Granada (Spain)

  • Universidad de Granada

A sustainable city must be a safe place for its inhabitants when walking, with the absence of fear of crime being one of its main attributes. Although perceived insecurity is …


Advancing SDG competencies in higher education: exploring an interdisciplinary pedagogical approach

  • Kristianstad University

This study aims to explore an interdisciplinary pedagogical approach for advancing knowledge and understanding of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) at higher education institutions (HEIs).


Exploring the usage of social media in extant campus sustainability assessment frameworks for sustainable campus development

  • University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
  • The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

As one of the buzzwords in the present age with considerable impacts in tertiary institutions, social media use in online teaching, learning and information dissemination have been extensively discussed in …


Learning towards environmental sustainability practices: insights from a values-based participatory research approach

  • University of the Free State
  • Fudan University

Transformative Learning Theory is instrumental in fostering sustained positive change in adult learners as it explains how critical reflection in crystallization processes results in emancipatory learning. Despite its relevance, there …


Investigating the environmental behavior of business and accounting university students

  • National Technical University of Athens
  • University of West Attica

The purpose of this study is to explore the underlying dimensions of environmental behavior (EB) and examine how environmental education (EE) and ecological sensitivity (ES) motivate the EB of Business …


The Impact of Service Learning in the Development of Student Teachers’ Socio-Educational Commitment

  • Comillas Universidad Pontificia (Madrid)

This research arises from the university’s need to contribute to the training of professionals, especially teachers, who, in turn are committed to contribute to a more sustainable and socially just …


If It Is Life We Want: A Prayer for the Future (of the) University

  • Antioch University, New England (NH)
  • University of Massachusetts Amherst (MA)
  • University of York

Universities are one potentially important place – albeit not the only one – to initiate the next generation into becoming the adult humans needed to navigate the difficult future of …


Growing action research on environmental learning in schools: a school-university partnership

  • University of Toronto (ON)

A team of teacher-researchers in a large urban school board is working in partnership with researchers from a leading Canadian university to use action research to broaden and deepen environmental …


Students’ learning sustainability – implicit, explicit or non-existent: a case study approach on students’ key competencies addressing the SDGs in HEI program

  • Kristianstad University

This study aims to understand better the student awareness and knowledge on how the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are used in higher education institutions (HEIs) to motivate students’ learning on …


Taking power seriously: Towards a power-sensitive approach for transdisciplinary action research

  • Maastricht University
  • Kozminski University

In this paper, we focus on transdisciplinary action research to explore the key challenge of post-normal science – how to deal with power. First, the paper reviews the literature on …


Understanding How Stand-Alone Sustainability Courses Are Taught in Marketing: A Global Baseline Analysis

  • Utah State University (UT)

The growing societal and environmental challenges of the 21st century are ubiquitous. Thus, marketing educators are tasked with incorporating a sustainability approach into their curriculum, educating students on the synchronous …


Greening on-campus housing: blending commercial and higher education contexts

  • Virginia Tech (VA)

With the United States higher education sector representing over five billion square feet and expending over six billion dollars annually on energy costs, the higher education institution has an opportunity …


Can Higher Education Institutions’ Stakeholders Drive Regional Sustainable Development? Yes, They Can?!

  • University of Beira Interior

Although Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) develop and announce actions related to sustainable development (SD), these actions and the results achieved are often not perceived by their stakeholders. This article aims …


Sustainability as an Emerging Paradigm in Universities

  • University of Valladolid
  • Fundación Universitaria Konrad Lorenz
  • Universitat Carlemany
  • Fundación Universitaria Los Libertadores
  • Universidad Centroccidental Lisandro Alvarado
  • Universidad Nacional Experimental Politécnica Antonio José de Sucre

This article aims to review the perspective of sustainability adoption in universities through two dimensions: firstly, from the educational and research process, and second, from their global positioning in terms …


Sustainable Development Goals and Education: A Bibliometric Mapping Analysis

  • Universidad Pablo de Olavide
  • UNICEF (NY)

The 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda sets out 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aimed at improving life in all its dimensions, covering all sectors, with a particular emphasis on education. The …


A Survey of Environmental Attitudes and Knowledge of University Undergraduate Students for the Purpose of Faculty Development in Teaching and Learning for Sustainability

  • University of North Carolina, Pembroke (NC)

Because today's students will confront global climate change and its concomitant social and cultural disruption, it is vital that they graduate with ecological knowledge, environmental ethics, and civic skills commensurate …


Higher Education for Sustainability: A Critical Review of the Empirical Evidence 2013–2020

  • University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna

Higher education for sustainable development (HESD) has grown into a substantial field of research and practice. HESD proposes that higher education will be central in a transition towards more sustainable …


Nursing students' attitudes towards climate change and sustainability: A cross-sectional multisite study

  • University of Plymouth (Devon)
  • Queensland University of Technology
  • University of Brighton
  • University of Jaén
  • Hochschule für Technik Stuttgart/University of Applied Sciences (HFT) (Stuttgart)
  • Dalarna University
  • Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia

This study aimed to: i) investigate nursing students' attitudes towards and awareness of climate change and sustainability issues and its inclusion in nurse education, ii) explore differences across a range …


Multilevel barrier and driver analysis to improve sustainability implementation strategies: Towards sustainable operations in institutions of higher education

  • United Nations University
  • Technische Universität Dresden (Dresden)

In practice what they preach in research and education, higher education institutions (HEIs) must consider economic, ecological, and social impacts in their quest for sustainable operations. We contribute to the …


Higher Education and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)—Potential Contribution of the Undergraduate Courses of the School of Social Sciences of the University of Évora

  • University of Évora

In this work we analyzed the mapping of Sustainable Development Goals in the curricular units of the undergraduate courses of the School of Social Sciences at the University of Évora. …


Metaphorical perceptions of academicians in administrative positions in higher education regarding the concept of sustainability

  • İstanbul 29 Mayıs Üniversitesi

The aim of this study, which was in a qualitative research design, is to reveal the perceptions of education administrators working in higher education institutions about the concept of sustainability …


Supporting the role of universities in leading individual and societal transformation through education for sustainable development

  • University of Bristol
  • Quality Assurance Agency For Higher Education (--None--)
  • University of St Andrews (Scotland)
  • University of the West of England, Bristol
  • Manchester Metropolitan University
  • Cardiff Metropolitan University
  • Advance HE

There is growing recognition of the value of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) for all learners, and of the unique role that universities play in the transformation of individuals, institutions …


Epistemic stability and epistemic adaptability: interdisciplinary knowledge integration competencies for complex sustainability issues

  • Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Global sustainability challenges transcend disciplines and, therefore, demand interdisciplinary approaches that are characterized by cross-disciplinary collaboration and integration across disciplines. In accordance with this need for interdisciplinary approaches, sustainability professionals …


A Global MetaUniversity to Lead by Design to a Sustainable Well-Being Future

  • University of Denver (CO)
  • Australian National University
  • University of Melbourne (Victoria)

The COVID19 pandemic has revealed deep, ingrained problems with higher education, but also opportunities for positive transformation. In the post-COVID world, education at all levels has the chance to become: …


The influence of group-level factors on individual energy-saving behaviors in a shared space: The case of shared residences

  • Swinburne University of Technology
  • Shenzhen University

In business and service buildings, shared spaces constitute large areas where occupants share energy resources and manage them. Changing people's behaviors toward conscious and efficient energy use within shared spaces …


A Paradigm Shift in International Service-Learning: The Imperative for Reciprocal Learning

  • Appalachian State University (NC)

The US-based authors argue that the practice of what we currently call “international service-learning” does not generally achieve its most important goals in the context of the global South, especially …


Climate Emergency: UK Universities' Declarations and Their Role in Responding to Climate Change

  • Cardiff University

On April 17, 2019, the University of Bristol became the first university in the United Kingdom (UK) to declare a climate emergency. Against a backdrop of high visibility and public …


Teaching and learning for change: analysis of a post-graduate One Health program

  • Universite Libre de Bruxelles (Brussels Region)
  • Université Dan Dicko Dankoulodo de Maradi
  • Université de Namur
  • Université de Liège
  • Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d'Ivoire
  • Université de Montpellier

As problematized through the One Health concept, global health issues are defeating conventional disciplinary approaches since they unfold across various scientific domains and across all levels of society. Calling for …


Intention to adopt pro-environmental behaviors among university students of hard and soft sciences: the case of drinking by reusable bottles

  • Università degli Studi di Torino
  • Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II

The market of bottled water is one of the largest in the world. Paradoxically, the consumption of water in plastic bottles is highest in countries rich in the potable tap …


Arranging university semester date to minimize annual CO2 emission: A UK university case study

  • University of Edinburgh
  • Tsinghua University
  • Sichuan University

Existing methods of reducing carbon emissions on campus often require substantial investment, and the potential opportunities for carbon dioxide and energy savings in universities with existing infrastructure have not been …


COVID-19: the impact of a global crisis on sustainable development teaching

  • College of Charleston (SC)
  • University of Malta (Northern Harbor District)
  • Bournemouth University (Dorset)
  • Universidade Aberta
  • Hamburg University of Applied Sciences
  • University of Passo Fundo
  • University of Aveiro
  • Manchester Metropolitan University
  • Universidade federal de Santa Maria
  • Universidade NOVA de Lisboa
  • University of Chester
  • North-West University (North West)
  • University of Milano-Bicocca
  • Universidade Federal da Paraíba

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a global crisis, one which also influences the ways sustainability is being taught at universities. This paper undertakes an analysis of the extent to which …